Author: Bruce Elgort

You’ll find this technology professor – an award-winning instructor at Clark College – working hard to inspire and challenge his students with meaningful web development and programming experiences. With a skinny vanilla latte (no foam) in hand, Bruce loves to tinker and test the boundaries of existing and emerging technologies, to then guide hungry minds through memorable, educational journeys to showcase with passion the ever-evolving innovations of society. An industry leader, Bruce is known for co-developing Elguji’s IdeaJam software, and is recognized by IBM as an ‘IBM Champion’ for being an innovative thought leader in cloud technologies.

#TheWayToMigrate off of IBM Lotus Notes and Domino

LDC Via just released a new white paper entitled “LDC Via: a new way to migrate“. I highly recommend that you go and read the whitepaper and schedule some time with the folks at LDC Via. Tell them I sent you. If you are at IBM Connect in Orlando, it would be great to find Ben, Matt, Mark or Julian and see first hand how easy you can move your data off of IBM Lotus Notes and Domino.

Now Available – Frontend Architecture for Design Systems: A Modern Blueprint for Scalable and Sustainable Websites

Micah Godbolt’s new book “Frontend Architecture for Design Systems: A Modern Blueprint for Scalable and Sustainable Websites” has been published. 

51aerzppjdl-_sx346_bo1204203200_

Imagine what a large-scale web project would look like if frontend development were not treated as an add-on, but as an equal partner with backend development and content strategy. This practical book takes experienced web developers through the new discipline of frontend architecture, including the latest tools, standards, and best practices that have elevated frontend web development to an entirely new level.

Using real-world examples, case studies, and practical tips and tricks throughout, author Micah Godbolt introduces you to the four pillars of frontend architecture. He also provides compelling arguments for developers who want to embrace the mantle of frontend architect and fight to make it a first-class citizen in their next project.

Order Your Copy Now >

We Made it Onto the “Best List”

SEATTLE — Nine Washington community colleges, including Clark College in Vancouver, are on list of the 150 best in the nation.

The Aspen College Excellence Program picks its top 150 by doing a data review. It picks the schools that show the most student success, in term of persistence, completion and transfer.

The program wants to see consistent improvement over time, as well as equity in outcomes for students of all racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

This web development insructor is very proud of Clark’s students, administration, staff and faculty.

More >

XPages Developer in California Wanted

Would you be kind enough to post on your blogs/FB pages that Princess Cruises has a FT position open for an XPages/Domino developer.

The Sr. Programmer/Analyst position is at our Santa Clarita, CA office and our Domino/XPages team is about 13 people. Telecommuting is not an option.

Great benefits package and plenty of work. If you know someone who is interested, please have them contact me via email so I can give them a reference.

If you are intereted let me know so I can put you in contact with the people at Princess Cruises.

Slack: What Great Execution Looks Like

For those of you who know me, I’m a huge fan and user of Slack; both the company and the product. Here are some things that Slack has done and continues to do right:

  1. Social Media: They know how to use social media to connect with their users. They respond to every tweet and do their best to help you. If they can’t help you they connect you with somebody within Slack that can help.
  2. Integrations: Out of the box they offer an extensive list of products and services that they integrate with. This is a HUGE one as I use many of these integrations when I setup my new Slack groups. Oh, and did I mention that they work and they work as you would expect to work.
  3. API: The Slack API is very well thought out and documented. I have developed several bots, some simple and some quite complex using their API. There isn’t much you can’t do.
  4. Just enough features: Slack doesn’t try to be all things to all users. I’m hoping that Slack continues to carefully craft the user experience in the same way that they already have.
  5. Mobile, Web and Desktop: Right out of the gate they offered first class desktop, the web and mobile clients. All that worked very well.
  6. App Store/App Directory: Need I say more.

It’s these six things that make Slack a company and product to admire. There are so many companies trying to take on Slack and there are some other products that do what Slack does. Bottom line is that they are not Slack the company and Slack the product.

I expect in the forthcoming weeks, to see other companies announcing products to challenge Slack’s dominance and I’m looking forward to seeing how those new products align with the six things I outlined above, if at all.

Now Open For Business

A few months ago I re-opened my professional consultancy and here’s what I have to offer companies and executives:

  • Provide an honest assessment of your information technology operation
  • Offer executives a “plain English” explanation of technology
  • Personalized executive technology coaching and training
  • Help you answer the question “IT tells me everything is perfect but is it really?”
  • Offer you the cold hard facts about social media
  • Provide opinions and constructive feedback for new software and hardware initiatives
  • Help you learn more about the “cloud”, its benefits and how it can be implemented
  • Assist you in determining if your company’s data is secure
  • Provide you a motivated and expert speaker for company events and conferences

Here’s a partial list of the companies I have and continue to work with:

  • US Department of Agriculture
  • Washington State Department of Utilities and Transportation
  • Social Security Administration
  • Vulture Street Innovation
  • Systems Advisory Services
  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • IBM
  • TNT Shipping Services
  • Pricewaterhouse Coopers
  • HSBC
  • Agfa
  • Honda Research
  • EPIC Aviation

Let’s talk.